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Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer and Jered Weaver struck out eight as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Chicago Cubs 8-4 Thursday. Cubs left-hander Travis Wood homered off Weaver leading off the fifth as a pinch hitter. I’m happy with where I’m at.” Mike Olt hit a two-run homer and a triple for the Cubs. Cubs rookie slugger Kris Bryant, who has nine homers this spring, went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.

Brett Lawrie had a pair of home runs and four RBIs, Drew Pomeranz pitched six scoreless innings and the Oakland Athletics routed the Colorado Rockies 11-2 Monday. Lawrie hit a solo homer in the sixth off Ryan Arrowood for a 6-0 lead and capped a five-run sixth with a three-run homer against LaTroy Hawkins that made it 11-0. Ben Zobrist had two hits and three RBIs, and Billy Butler had two hits and two RBIs for the Athletics, who are 13-1 at home in their first spring training at HoHoKam Stadium. He has 25 strikeouts in 17 2-3 innings this spring training.

Kendall Graveman continued his impressive spring with 6 1-3 innings of three-hit ball, further staking his claim to a spot in the Athletics’ rotation and leading Oakland to a 7-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. Graveman retired the first 14 batters he faced and got run support from Brett Lawrie’s two-run home run in the third inning. Billy Butler added a solo home run in the seventh and Josh Phegley and Sam Fuld, who hit a pair of doubles, drove in runs in the sixth. Graveman, 24, has allowed just one run and 10 hits in 21 1-3 innings this spring.

Nick Martinez threw six scoreless innings, Leonys Martin homered and the Texas Rangers beat the Colorado Rockies 6-3 on Thursday night. Martinez, competing for the final vacancy in the Rangers’ rotation, allowed five hits and walked one.

Left-handers Scott Kazmir of Oakland and Jose Quintana of Chicago tuned up for the regular season with strong starts on Saturday, and the Athletics beat the White Sox 10-4. Kazmir threw 81 pitches, pitching two-hit ball for 5 1-3 scoreless innings. Kazmir and Quintana each will get one more start before pitching in the second game of the regular season.

Anthony Ranaudo pitched six solid innings and Elvis Andrus, Jake Smolinski and Chris Gimenez each drove in runs for Texas before the Oakland Athletics rallied in the ninth for a 7-6 victory Friday over the Rangers. Mark Canha hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth after the Rangers scored five times over the final three innings to take the lead. A’s starter Jesse Hahn allowed a run on three hits over 5 1-3 innings in his first appearance against the Rangers. ”Of course, they learn about me too.” Former Ranger Craig Gentry doubled, tripled and scored two runs for the A’s. Stephen Vogt homered among his two hits and Ben Zobrist and Billy Butler each drove in a run.

Tim Lincecum pitched five shaky innings for the San Francisco Giants, and Billy Butler hit a two-run double that helped the Oakland Athletics to a 6-4 victory Thursday night. Giants catcher Hector Sanchez drove in two runs and then left the game after getting hit in the throat area with a foul ball in the seventh. A’s starter Jesse Chavez completed 3 2-3 innings two days after his wife, Crystal, gave birth to the couple’s third child, Dannie Rae. It gave me extra motivation to go out and do the best I could for them.” Eric Sogard drove in three runs for Oakland.

Bryce Harper’s reaction to the news that the Washington Nationals added Max Scherzer to an already-talented starting staff drew quite a lot of attention. ”I was like, ‘Where’s my ring?”’ Yes, that pretty much sums up where the expectations are for the 2015 Nationals – as expressed by them and by others. On the first day of full-squad workouts at spring training, reigning NL Manager of the Year Matt Williams posted these words of wisdom in the clubhouse: ”The road to the World Series begins today.” ”We’re here to get to that ultimate goal,” Williams said. Scherzer, the 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner with Detroit, came aboard with a $210 million contract, joining a group that led the majors in ERA last season – right-handers Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister, and lefty Gio Gonzalez.